Washington, D.C.—Today, Faith in America announces plans to engage and inform members of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) at their annual Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission’s (ERLC) Parenting National Conference. We are calling upon leaders within the SBC and ERLC to recognize and discuss the real harm they are causing to young LGBT people by spreading outdated biblical interpretations about “homosexuality.”

Here are the shocking statistics:

LGBT kids raised in highly rejecting families are 8 times more likely to attempt suicide than their LGBT peers from accepting homes.

40+% of America’s homeless youth are LGBT.

More than a quarter of LGBT youth say they have been personally bullied or harassed since the 2016 presidential campaign began, compared to 14 percent of non-LGBTQ youth

The ERLC’s National Parenting Conference claims to give Christian parents the tools they need to raise their children in a constantly “changing culture.” One of the areas of focus is the “Equipping Kids to Understand Same-Sex Attraction & Gender Identity Issues” breakout session that is filled with anti-LGBT speakers. Faith in America’s coalition of affirming religious leaders want to make clear: these “teachings” are harmful, not helpful.

“I am convinced that every Southern Baptist church of significant size has LGBTQ individuals within their congregation living faithfully and silently, some of whom are young people,” said David W. Key, Sr., Southern Baptist minister and Board Chair of AWAB (Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists). “The harm being done to these folks is inexcusable. That is why some of us religious leaders are showing up in Nashville to confront this erroneous teaching coming from the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. It is time for SBC leaders to step forward and address this crisis by reorienting their dangerous rhetoric. I pray they won’t be too late.”

Faith in America is in communication with the SBC and ERLC leadership and we are working to get a meeting scheduled while in Nashville. We will continue to try and open a dialogue between our group and the Southern Baptist Convention as long as they continue spreading harmful outdated Biblical interpretations.

“The Christian Church has a long history of getting a lot of things really right. One of things it has gotten right is its ability to correct itself in both belief and action when confronted with new and better information. Often this new information comes to us by way of human experience, even suffering,” said Stan Mitchell, Pastor at GracePointe Church and Director of Religious Outreach for Faith in America. “This information does not override or nullify our received doctrines or sacred text. It does though drive us back to our doctrines and text asking ourselves the vital question, “Have we read and understood this correctly, faithfully.” Again and again in these pivotal moments we have been willing to recognize a more faithful reading of the Bible and understanding of matters of great importance. Faith in America believes deeply the anti-LGBT perspective currently held by groups such as the SBC, offers another corrective moment in Church history.”

####

Faith in America is a nonprofit organization that seeks to end harmful anti-LGBT religious teachings by directly engaging and informing religious leaders about the real harm they cause. We are directly calling upon all religious denominations to once and for all end the practice of teaching that “homosexuality is a sin.” More information can be found at faithinamerica.org.